'Outlander' Season 7 Episode 2 Recap: A Murderer Revealed, A Birth & Sad Goodbye for Jamie & Claire

Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for Outlander Season7, Episode 1 premiere episode, “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

Not since season 2, episode 13 of Outlander, where Jamie and Claire danced apart for 20 years, has there been an episode that has rocked this show to its core as much as “The Happiest Place on Earth.” It is an episode that changes Jamie and Claire’s lives in ways that will reverberate for hundreds of years. And it all happens in just 58 minutes. Last week, Tom Christie gave his life to save Claire’s life. Jamie took Richard Brown’s life to make all the Browns who ever walked the earth regret what they did to Claire for all time. And no one was sad. No one. This episode welcomes a new baby into the family, reveals Malva’s murderer, has Claire and Ian burying a body, and of course, in typical rip your heart out, pick it up, hug it and then drop it on the ground and step on it Outlander fashion, it involves a devastating separation.

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But most of all, it’s one of those episodes that will make you realize we are sadly that much closer to the end of Outlander, and it brilliantly entertains the way it did in season 1. This is one of the strongest episodes of Outlander in years. It will break your heart no less than 5 times, but then fill it right up again.

Allan Christie Returns and then Leaves Forever, Bye

Ah, Claire is peacefully picking herbs and judging from her longer hair, Outlander has time jumped us a little since the premiere. As long as it’s not 20 years, this is fine. You can always tell how much time has passed judging by Claire bear’s hair care.

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Allan starts talking about how much he misses Malva. And then oh no, it takes a turn. A real turn. In his little mini Malva graveside eulogy he starts talking about her “wee privates” and compares them to a flower. End this man please. Luckily, Claire basically does. If looks could kill, Claire would have killed Allan Christie in this moment. Be happy that Claire Fraser has never looked at you that way. Because you’d be gone. Not like the wind. But as if you never even existed.

Allan reveals he was the baby’s father and killed her. Claire is mad. The saddest part of this is Allan tells Claire he had to kill Malva because she refused to lie anymore because it was hurting Claire. “She said she loved you,” he tells Claire. He then flashes back to Malva telling him, “I don’t love you.” I’m going to go ahead and say, other than Malva saying, “I don’t love you,” they could have skipped the flashbacks of Allan abusing Malva.

Malva loved Claire more than anyone. Almost like a mother. This is so sad and tragic, and this isn’t helping Claire’s already fragile state! “You shouldn’t have loved anyone but me!” crazy Christie screams at Malva mulch, as he grabs the gun and puts it to his head. Claire grabs it away from him. No gurl! Claire! We have talked about this! Stop saving people who don’t need to be saved! She tells him, “Your father sacrificed himself for me, and for you whether you deserved it or not.” Hmm, do we think Tom Christie knew the truth about his son? Or was his nose in his Bible too much to notice? Claire tells Allan to leave and never come back. And then an arrow pierces his heart! Cupid does work in mysterious ways. Except cupid is Ian, and thank god he’s a perfect shot. Bye, Allan. Ian did what needed to be done. Also the way he Ian is protective of his Aunty Claire no matter what is unparalleled.

Ian and his aunt waste no time burying that useless Christie. The Christie kids really all end up as mulch. Let that be a lesson, don’t mess with the Frasers, otherwise the earth will swallow you and make you into fertilizer for Claire’s wee herbs. Claire’s hair looks a tad bit longer than it did when Ian shot Allan a few minutes prior, and it’s okay. More Claire hair is always good, even if that 1-inch hair growth seems impossible to happen in 7 minutes, but Outlander, we will believe anything you put out there and clearly follow Claire anywhere. Maybe time travelers have great hair conditioning, I don’t know.

As Claire and Ian are digging away, Mrs. Bug stumbles upon their little dead garden digging party. Uh oh. She’s got a big mouth. Historically. But she surprises everyone, and basically says Allan Christie was no good then joins their little dead body dig cover up. Where is Jamie? Usually he can smell Claire’s in danger from a mile away. His Sassenach sonar is clearly off. But Twitter fan @weepheebs noted, “Auntie nephew bonding time digging a secret grave in the woods. So sweet.” Indeed, @weepheebs.

Important side note: Did anyone notice Mickey Mouse and Disneyland are at the end of the opening credits. Why is that mouse there? Hmmm…

Amanda Claire Hope MacKenzie

Big Bree finally gives birth. Does it feel like she’s been pregnant for like 400 something days. Yes, it does. Because she has. Aw, both Jamie and Roger are by Brianna’s side as she gives birth. And as expected, Claire is down there delivering her grandchild as only Claire can do. It’s a real family affair it seems. This scene is sure to make fans who were upset about Jamie and Claire missing Jemmy’s birth in season 4 a little happier. A little. Maril Davis told us people would love this scene and she was not wrong. Sophie Skelton revealed recently event that Rankin and Heughan called out different animals as inspo for her birthing sounds. From frogs to distressed goats, whichever sound Skelton was channeling, she nailed it. Brianna pops out a little daughter! Cue Fraser joy!

There is nothing cuter than Jamie and Claire hugging each other while watching Roger, Bree and the baby. Stop it Outlander, this is too much joy. This episode will make you cry no matter what, happy, sad, devastated, weeping on your couch. Am I alone?

“Amanda Claire Hope MacKenzie,” Lizzie reads the birth announcement to everyone. Looks like Lizzie is super giant preggo with one of the twins eggos. The birth announcement was published by Fergus. Sad that Marsali and Fergus are no longer on the show. But at least Fergus is making up for his huge printing error in season 5. Let’s not talk about it! The only thing that matters is that Jamie and Claire are the cutest grandparents who deliver babies and are also aging backwards.

Mandy & the Mares, and the Big ol’ Heart scare

Jamie is off on a walk to the stables with his wee granddaughter. He and baby Mandy are talking to the horses, and it is the best. Jamie is telling baby Mandy he’ll teach her how to ride a horse. Quick PSA: Jamie Fraser deserved to raise his kids! Faith, Brianna and even little Willy Wanka. (That’s not a typo, autocorrect). My heart. Then as if that wasn’t cute enough, after Jamie tells Mandy she’ll be an equestrian, Claire is alone with her in her surgery room and tells her she’ll teach her to become a surgeon. Claire and Jamie deserved to raise their baby together! Diana Gabaldon!

As Claire whispers sweet surgeon thoughts to her granddaughter, and because Outlander can’t just give us happy Granny Claire time, Claire notices Mandy’s nails are blue. Sh*t. She listens to her little tiny heart, and oh no. Claire says, “Bloody hell.” Brianna comes in and asks what’s wrong. Hope you enjoyed the 5 seconds of joy Claire and Jamie got because it’s over. “It’s her heart,” Claire tells Bree.

Mandy has a very serious heart problem. Oh, this is sad. Claire says the condition is most likely Patent ductus arteriosus. Translation: it’s bad. Brianna asks, “Will she die?” “Probably,” Claire says. Ugh. Claire says she can’t fix it in this time. Jamie says, “Even with the ether?” Aw. But Claire says she knows someone who can! Dr. Joe Abernathy?! They’re going back to the future! What in the Marty McFly is about to happen, I don’t like it.

“God will have to wait”

Roger says she’s so tiny and they don’t know if Mandy can travel. Brianna says she will take Mandy herself and Roger should stay with Jem. “No, we’re a family,” he says. Roger. Mac. You are gold in this scene. He tells Bree, “God will have to wait.” Roger, your haircut, and this scene, batting 100. Seriously, who is his barber on the Ridge? Sorry, I digress, back to the gutting sadness.

Jamie and Claire

Meanwhile, Jamie and Claire are distraught. Claire says if she were in her own time, she could do something, and then she spirals a bit realizing it’s out of her control. Jamie says, there is one thing we can do. He kneels by their bed, and starts praying. He’s all “God will not have to wait.” Claire kneels next to him and is basically like how do we do this? Surgeons learning how to pray is funny. How do these two look good doing everything?! Praying, crying, galloping on a horse, being bitten by a snake, cutting into people, dropping maggots on each other in the name of medicine, just stop Frasers. Seems like hot grandparents praying pays off, because the next morning, Jemmy tells them that Mandy can hear the buzzing around the little gem stone. He can also hear her thoughts. Whoa, scary sibling powers. But what that means is that Mandy can travel. They all can. Ugh. Super sad stuff alert.

Brianna Meets Her Brother, William

The fam heads into Wilmington to see a man about a horse. No, actually to get some gems so they can all travel. In town, Claire stays with her grandkids while the rest run in for errands. They’re such a cute family and now it’s all about to end. Brianna runs into Lord John Grey (David Berry) and his son, but really Jamie’s son, William! Lord John looks slightly nervous about this spontaneous encounter, but he rolls with it and introduces Brianna to William. William proudly takes her hand and says, “William Ransom, your servant, Madame.” Willam asks if they’ve met before, and Lord John says, “She’s the daughter of James Fraser,” also your real Dad, Willy! Except he leaves out that last part. Brianna looks so happy meeting her brother from the same father, who doesn’t know he’s her brother, or that they have the same father.

Brianna tells them she and her husband are on their way to Boston. William says they’re in town to “quell the trouble.” William says he wishes he was going to Boston to “engage the enemy.” William seems excited to go to war. Brianna says, “A clever man once said, “The best way to defeat an enemy is to make him a friend.” And then William asks, “Do you have a lot of enemies.” Missing the point little bro-skie! Brianna doling out big sister advice. Brianna is like no bro, war’s stupid. Jamie stops in his tracks when he sees them talking in the distance. He watches unnoticed, but John sees him. Jamie walks away without saying hi, breaking everyone’s hearts, his, ours, Lord John’s.

Who’s Your Daddy, Willy?

Bree asks John if he’ll ever tell William about Da. Lord John looks at her like she’s insane. And then he says, “Are you quite mad?!” He continues, “There are only 5 people who know of William’s parentage, two of whom have taken the secret to their grave.” Lord John explains they can’t risk his true parentage being revealed.

Brianna is like please tell William the truth, since she knows all about having a fake father. And finding out far too late! She clearly doesn’t want the same Jerry Springer outcome for William. She’s a good older sister. She assures John that William finding out about Jamie won’t replace John or make William stop loving him. Brianna tells him about Frank to emphasize her point. Unfortunately, that isn’t really why the secret is being kept, sister. Better to be the Lord of Ellesmere, than the Bastard Laird of Nowhere, ya know, Bree?

The Son Also Rises & Jamie and John Break Up

John tells Jamie that Brianna wants him to tell William that Jamie is his father. Jamie is like no way, and says Bree has her own strong opinions, Lord John quickly says, “Like her mother.” Hell yeah, LJG. Like mother, like daughter. Remember when Claire killed Allan with a look? (Feels like a long time ago, but no it was just at the beginning of the episode). John and Jamie lament over the fact that William really wants to fight in the war. Sam Heughan’s delivery of the line, “I see he and Bree have made each other’s acquaintance,” with tears welling in his eyes. When John says I wish you could spend time with your son, Jamie utters, “Dinna fash John, it is enough for me having seen them together.” Jamie Fraser. Broken heart beneath the surface at all times. Heughan manages to show this with a simple look.

John asks Jamie if he’s changed his mind about fighting for the other side. “You will not fight for the Crown even if for no other reason than to stand by your son?” John asks Jamie. Jamie says that their continued association is a danger to everyone.  “I fear we must sever all connection between us,” Jamie tells John. I think Jamie and John just broke up. John says, “Damn this war.” Damn all the wars, actually. Jamie and Claire need to stay away from wars. How hard can this be? Truly. John gives Jamie the jewel he gave him 20 years ago to give to Brianna.

Claire, Jamie, Roger and Brianna compare all the jewels they found to get them back to the future. Jamie asks Brianna if she’ll join him on a walk together.

This episode contains so many strong scenes, that it is impossible to do them justice by recapping. The next few scenes are exactly those moments. You will watch to watch and re-watch, because that’s just how good they are.

Jamie and Brianna’s, A Mouse & A Magical Walk

Jamie asks Bree about meeting her brother. She says he seems excited to fight. Jamie says, “I worry for you both.” Brianna says, “I guess that’s what fathers do.” Then Jamie catches a firefly for Brianna, and releases it and it’s the most magical scene. Brianna says, “It reminds me of Disneyland.” Jamie’s all what’s that. Seeing Jamie learning about Disneyland is the sweetest, greatest thing to ever happen in the Outlander woods.

Truly, there is nothing better than Jamie Fraser learning about Mickey Mouse. Nothing I tell you. Brianna explains what Disneyland is and tells Jamie it’s magical, “You could go up and shake hands with Mickey Mouse.” “What’s that?” Jamie asks. Brianna explains it’s a human-sized mouse. Jamie says, “A giant rat?! You let the bairns play with a giant rat?!” Jamie Fraser is a comedian. Best line of the show. Brianna explains it’s just a human dressed up as a giant mouse, “They call it the happiest place on earth.” Jamie asks Brianna if it’s disappointing for her to be here in this time. And she says, “You are magical to me.” Then Jamie wonders what it would be like if he could travel. This is a perfect Jamie and Brianna scene, and of course it happens when she’s about to leave. The last perfect Jamie and Brianna scene was when they went bee hunting in season 4 and then ate honey as a fam.

Jamie’s Gift to Claire

Jamie tells Claire that Brianna was telling him what life would be like in the future. Jamie then reveals that he dreamt of Claire in her proper time. She asks how he knew it was from her time. ““There was light all around you,” he explains she was sitting at a desk writing. “It wasn’t’ a candle light or a fire light, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘That must be what electric light is like.” Jamie Fraser, ladies and gentleman, talking about Claire and only Claire.

Wait a minute, is Jamie talking about the very first episode where a ghost who is seemingly Jamie looks up at Claire in the window, right before the power goes out. Frank sees him in fact. Is Jamie a time-traveling ghost in his dreams, pardon me, Outlander and Diana Gabaldon, tell us what is happening. That’s what some seem to think after seeing the episode, but remember Jamie says Claire is writing at a desk. Claire better not go back to the future without Jamie, people! Jamie tells Claire, “I dream of the past why would I not dream of the future.” Good point. Jamie tells Claire he’s been having dreams like that the last few years. Um, sir, speak up. They kiss and then he pulls out a gem and gives it to her, and says it’s for Claire to go back to the future if she wants to go with them. She takes the gem and throws it out the window. Jamie’s like what the?! Claire tells him simply, “I love you.” Jamie says, “I’m not brave as I was before you ken, not brave enough to live without you anymore.” Claire kisses him, and he says, “We should probably go fetch that gem.” Claire throwing around those gems like they grow on trees! Jamie offered Claire a chance to leave, and she threw his suggestion out the window, literally. That’s love, my friends. Also, hilarious that Claire is kissing Jamie, and he’s like, “Gurl, go get that gem.” Jamie Fraser has never interrupted a make out sesh until today. Twitter fan @alohahimarie said of this moment, “Your honor, I love them so much.”

Standing Stones, Broken Hearts

Jamie, Claire, Brianna and Roger, Jemmy and Mandy, arrive at the standing stones to send them back to the future. Ugh. This is the Second Saddest Goodbye in the history of this show. Probably the third. The first being when we all have to say goodbye to the show in the future. Far in the future.

Holding baby Mandy, Claire tells Brianna, “I went through the scenes once to save my baby, now you’re going back to save yours.” Barely holding it together, Brianna says, “I love you so much Mama, I can’t believe this is goodbye.” Then Claire gently and re-assuringly points out the last two times they said goodbye, they “thought it was forever.” She says, “Yet here we are. So who knows.” Damn, Claire is good. Best mom and grandmom.  She hands the baby to Brianna and then the look between Balfe and Skelton is, there are no words. Just tears.

Claire kneels down to say bye to Jemmy and tells him to take care of his baby sister and teach her how to play hide and seek. Jemmy says, “I love you,” and Claire says it back, and I’m crying. Seriously. This show should come with some sort of support system.

Jamie and Roger have a great goodbye. Jamie tells Roger, “I’m proud of you Roger Mac. There’s no other man I’d trust with the lives of my daughter and the bairns.  Roger says, “I’m so proud to call you family.” Roger says he can’t wait to tell the kids lots of stories about Claire and Jamie, and Jamie says, “Leave out the one about the snake bite.” No, don’t Roger, tell it, but just leave out the part of how Granny brought Granda back to life. Thankfully, doubtful anyone but granny and granda know that.

Jamie kneels and hugs Jemmy. “I don’t want to leave you granda,” he says to Jamie. Okay, give Jemmy the Oscar. Right now. Jamie Fraser then tops his best line. He says to Jemmy, “If one day you should ever should me a very large mouse named Michael, tell him your grandsire sends his regards.”

Jamie fraser just topped his best line. When he says to Jemmy, “If one day you should ever should me a very large mouse named Michael, tell him your grandsire sends his regards.” (Also me, just realizing Mickey is short for Michael). This is one of the sweetest, saddest scenes in Outlander history. Maybe even all of history, I don’t know.

Then Jamie says goodbye to Mandy. This poor man. He looks at Brianna and says, “I cannot say goodbye to you,” with tears in his eyes. Brianna reminds him, “Nothing is lost, only changed” and that they will always be a part of each other. And then a single tear rolls down Jamie’s cheek. Heughan perfectly nails this moment. The single tear award goes to him.

They are finally getting the scenes we needed in seasons 4 and 5, and of course Brianna is leaving. The parallel between Brianna breaking down in Jamie’s arms when they first meet and here where they are last meeting, is overwhelming. Skelton and Heughan show how much loss Brianna and Jamie have been through, having been robbed of their father-daughter relationship.

Skelton is given such heavy scenes with Balfe and Heughan in the beginning and now, and not enough in between. The last time they had substantive scenes between the three was when Brianna arrived and Jamie meets Brianna for the first time. All three of them shine with each other. Let them shine more in between not just for hellos and goodbyes.

Jamie and Roger’s father son bromance is sweet. I cried. I did. This Roger is the best Roger. The one who is Claire and Jamie’s son in law. Who loves them like his own parents. Rankin, Skelton, Balfe and Heughan are perfection in these scenes. And Jemmy. Well, Oscar. I said it. Meant it. Give the whole family a slew of Oscars for this entire episode. And Michael Mouse too.

Roger and Brianna and the kids walk towards the stones and then they are gone. Wow. They really had them leave. What the. What. Balfe and Heughan stoically looking at the stones almost as if part of Jamie and Claire just died. Jamie says to Claire, “For your sake, I will continue, but for mine alone, I would not.” Claire can’t even speak. This is really sad, mainly because it feels like Outlander is really ending. If you’re crying in these scenes. Just know it will be 500 times worse when the last season hits. Let’s not talk about the last episode.

Back to the future

Roger, Brianna, Jemmy and Mandy land outside standing stones. They wonder if it worked. Jemmy holds up his wooden plane and then a real plane flies above. It worked. The shot of Jemmy and his wooden plane and the real plane is reminiscent of season 2 when Claire reaches out her hand to Frank as she’s getting off a plane and then Jamie takes her hand. What a gutting transition involving planes and Claire’s kids. Outlander hitting us with painful parallels, how on brand.

Remember when Jamie and Claire were young 20 somethings riding a horse and Claire was explaining airplanes to Jamie. Take us back to those seasons, less pain. Don’t interrupt my rose colored memory with the truth, it’s always painful. Who knew airplanes would be so sad in this show. Jamie and Claire arrive back home, alone.

The Saddest Place on Earth

Jamie and Claire lie in bed, not saying anything. Unable to sleep, Claire begins to kiss Jamie, and it’s clear she’s not okay. She gets on top of him, Jamie goes along with it (because why not), and then she pulls back and stops. He gently asks, “What is it a nighean?” Claire falls apart. “We’ve lost our family, Fergus, Marsali, the children, Brianna, Roger,” she says. Jamie reminds her they’re not dead. “They’re 200 years away. We’ll never see them again,” she weeps. Jamie confesses, “Sometimes I think of Murtagh… I think of my mother, father, brother, our wee Faith, all gone. And Jenny and Ian, if we’ll ever see them again. William, we’ve lost a great many between us,” he says. Claire is about to crumble, and Jamie puts his hand up to her and says, “Can you bear it if I touch you?” She whimpers, “I don’t know,” then collapses into his arms. There are a lot of beautiful shots between these two, usually after tragedies. The last shot in season 5, when Claire saves Jamie from the snake bite, and now this. Beautifully tragic. And Jamie Fraser asking his wife for consent to touch her cheek. There is nothing better than these two. They should give a class on how to couple.

Once again, this scene is so intimate, it’s a love scene that isn’t a sex scene. This show promised from the very beginning not to do typical TV sex. And still to this day it’s true. Credit to Balfe and Heughan for conveying such intimacy in one hug. Balfe’s barely contained sobbing finally released and Heughan’s Jamie supporting, trying to be strong. It scenes like this where you see that neither Jamie nor Claire is completely without the other. And that seems to be parallel to how Balfe and Heughan act alongside each other and hold this show up.

The parallel between these scenes and Claire losing their daughter Faith in season 2 was picked up immediately by fans, who decided to gif these parallels as if they weren’t sad enough. Balfe’s breakdown in this scene is raw and gutting, and beautifully executed. And Heughan’s ability to show how Jamie knows what Claire needs in this nonverbal moment is unparalleled. Twitter fan @smashingteacups said, “@Outlander_Starz I’m sending you my therapy bill. Yes. That. Yes.

Twitter fan dncingphalanges put it best, “All Jamie and Claire have in this world are snuggles and struggles.”

The Happiest Place on Earth

A few weeks later, it looks like Claire and Jamie are healing. She watches him walk around a horse. Lizzie has her baby, with her doting Twusbands (twin husbands), looking on. Claire says in a voice over, “It really was the happiest place on earth.” Why did you say that Claire?! Gabaldon the overlord heard you and now it’s over. Crap.

And then exactly what I just said would happen, happens. Claire goes back to her surgery and wham bam, guess who’s there. Wendigo F-ing Donner. He lights a match, and asks, “Where did you get these?” You know how we know this is not a good man, besides all the proof already. He sits in the dark waiting for woman who he knows and saw being brutalized, and this is how this piece of Donner crap comes to her. But trash stays trash. He’s there for gems, because he can’t time travel. He needs Claire’s help. The audacity! Claire tells him she doesn’t know. “Now get the hell out of my house,” spits in a more controlled way than anyone would be able to. But again, Donner is trash. He pulls out a gun. His men have Jamie and drag him in.

“This idiot wants gem stones!” Claire tells Jamie. Donner grabs Claire and puts a gun to her head. Then Jamie says, “Wouldn’t do that,” and lies and says she’s the only one who knows where the gems are. Claire’s like what now, come again? But Jamie is simply trying to bide time, I’m with you JAMMF. Jamie tries to make nice with Donner, and says, “I’m James Fraser, and you are?” Claire says, “Wendigo Donner,” and then it’s over. The way Heughan’s face changes. Jamie Fraser is about to kill this man. Donner’s men drag the Bugs in, and throw gold they found. Jamie looks at it perplexed, and Mrs. Bug says, “Give the gold back, it’s mine!” Um, can we focus please Fraser-Bugs, you got some thieves up in this joint. Donner starts to freak out and tells his men to search everywhere. They go into Claire’s cabinets, the ether falls out and breaks! Oh no. Oh no. No. Claire tells everyone not to breathe. Donner grabs the matches to give some light, and Claire screams, “No! No, don’t do that.”

And then… Fraser’s Ridge blows up. What. Are Jamie and Claire dead?! Holy sh*t, this is so crazy and good. This episode is finale caliber. And it’s only the second episode.

Outlander has done it again. Wait a minute. Bree came back to save her parents from a fire. Is this that fire. Are Jamie and Claire dead?! What the … also why would they live there again when that newspaper said they would die?! Hello.

But seriously, is this the fire that fires them… forever?! No, Outlander. Will not accept. Amazing episode.

Before you go, check out the all-time best ‘Outlander’ episodes you need to watch.

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